WATERFORD, CONN.: The Eugene O’Neill Theater Center has announced that its entire 2020 summer season will take place online, with no public performances or events taking place on the Waterford campus, due to COVID-19. The O’Neill released information on how each program would adjust to the current climate to be able to continue in some form this year.
The National Puppetry Conference will now be a five-day online conference held June 8-12. The O’Neill is also offering scholarship support for all participants in addition to creating a lower-cost conference. Since this was to be the 30th conference, the O’Neill will offer a five-part master class series with world-class puppetry artists to the public for $125. Puppets in the Pub presented by Blue Gene’s Pub will occur online each night at 9 p.m., with more information on how to join shared with participants and alumni by June 1.
The National Theater Institute will hold a modified, four-week Theatermakers Summer Intensive online July 3-31. The change will allow the program to provide additional skills geared toward virtual theatre making, filmmaking, podcasts, and devising.
The National Music Theater Conference will award two writing teams monetary and dramaturgical support, with the writers offered finalist positions in the 2021 submission process. Additionally, four other writing teams who were also in the 2020 finalist round will be offered finalist positions in the 2021 submission process. There will be no public presentations.
Similarly, the National Playwrights Conference will award four writers with monetary and dramaturgical support, with those writers being offered finalist positions in the 2021 submission process. The 63 writers who make up the 2020 finalist group will advance to the finalist pool for 2021 submissions. There will be no public presentations.
The National Critics Institute will transition to a five-day online intensive July 6-10, with selected fellows receiving full-tuition scholarships.
The National Directors Fellowship selection process is continuing, with interviews moved online and orientation happening in July with the selected fellows.
The Cabaret and Performance Conference will be held August 3-7 online, and applications have been extended to May 15. There will be no public presentations.
Blue Gene’s Pub and Monte Cristo Cottage are both closed until further notice. Playwright Observers, Visiting Professionals, SuperReaders, Commercial Theater Institute at O’Neill, Incubator Concerts, and NTI’s 12-Hour Intensive have all be suspended for the 2020 summer season.
